Profile Portfolio Gallery

You are here

Center of Japanese Architecture and Urbanism in Tokyo

Spring Semester

Center of Japanese Architecture and Urbanism in Tokyo

ARCH 574 | Spring 2014Professor Botond Bognar

OVERVIEW:Tokyo is one of the largest metropolises in the world and Japanese Architecture is one of the most prominent among contemporary practices today. Yet, apart from smaller galleries dedicated to the cause of architecture, there is no up-to date representative venue for the display of Japan’s rich history and tremendous recent progress in shaping the human environment. In the 2014 Spring Semester Bognar studio will design an urban complex, where the city and its architecture is introduced and celebrated.

THE SITE

The site of the project is at one of Tokyo’s busiest intersections, the one between Aoyama-dori Avenue and Omotesondo Boulvard. Aoyama-dori, connecting the Imperial Palace area and Ginza with Shibuya sub-center is running in the SW-NE direction, while Omotesando connecting Aoyama-dori with the Yoyogi Olympic Stadiums and Meiji Shinto Shrine compound is running in the direction of SE-NW.

The area of Omotesando, Tokyo’s Champs Elysees, is crowded by many outstanding pieces of architecture by both Japanese and foreign architects.

In other words, your site, which in fact is: 205,5’ (48 m) at the SW side, 272’ (83 m) at the SE side, 174’ at the NW side north corner of the intersection is intersected by two narrow lanes. A small Buddhist Temple and cemetery is to the north of the site.

The site is well served by three Metro lines: the Ginza, Hanzomon and Chiyoda lines, which run under the two Avenues. One entrance of the joint Omotesando Station is right in front of the site on Omotesando Boulvard (the underground station complex is pinkish in color. The three components of the site can be connected both underground andabove the small streets leaving the street traffic unaffected.